


#27 Goddesses

by gpadow



Category: Gunsmoke, Matt/Kitty
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2011-09-20
Updated: 2011-09-20
Packaged: 2017-10-23 21:57:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/255446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gpadow/pseuds/gpadow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>a wagon full of women arrive in dodge and Festus falls for Diana</p>
            </blockquote>





	#27 Goddesses

**Author's Note:**

> This story respectfully features characters and canon from the television series, Gunsmoke, which aired in 1955. They do not belong to me.

#27 Goddesses, Part I

Mar. 14th, 2011 at 5:28 PM

 

 

The stranger waiting in the dark stretched out his leg.  
His knees were stiff from crouching behind the bar after the door was locked.  
The man was patient, but tonight he waited behind the backroom door longer than usual. He broke his own rule to have a peek into the saloon.

Sam had lowered the overhead lamps on their circular chandelier. The barkeep securely fixed the rope and then went through the tedious task of refilling the lamp oil and replacing the ribbon wicks.

Finally, the stranger heard the familiar deep baritone say, "I'll haul it up, Sam."

"Thank you, Marshal. Appreciate the help."

"You've got a tough boss to please."

"I heard that."

The stranger felt a tingle down his spine at the sound of her voice.

The lamps out and back in position hanging above the bar, the Marshal and the barkeep made ready their exit.  
"Goodnight, Miss Kitty."

"Goodnight, Sam. Thanks again. 'Nite, Matt."

"See you tomorrow, Kitty."

The stranger heard the sound of boots on boardwalk fade away as Sam walked home and the lawman began his evening rounds. Will he be back tonight?

Kitty Russell watched Matt Dillon cross Front Street until his large form moved away from the lamp light. His limp seemed more pronounced tonight. This last trip was a tough one. Not that they aren't all tough. And dangerous. But, exhausted as the big man was, he insisted on doing the rounds tonight.  
From where did he mine that sense of honor, duty and purpose?

The marshal was a little angry with Kitty for asking Festus to do the morning rounds. But it brought a smile to her face to know they could sleep in tomorrow.

The redhead moved away from the window and placed two bottles on the table next to the brandy decanter. Let's see if he notices, she thought to herself with a grin.

Kitty changed out of her working clothes and washed off her paint before slipping Matt's blue shirt over her head. She picked up her dress and made a face as she sniffed it before saying, "Whew. That tobacco smoke was heavy tonight."  
She walked barefoot to the landing and hung the garment over the railing.

The figure lurking in the shadows watched her from below. Suddenly the saloon owner turned back to the railing, placed both hands on it, and then leaned over to look down into the Long Branch. All was quiet.

"Probably that tabby mouser Sam's been feeding," she said to herself, as she returned to her rooms.

Matt Dillon's heavy footsteps made their way up the back stairs. Kitty had been listening for them as she combed her long, red hair.

"Dodge City all tucked in?"

"Yeah," the weary lawman said as he hung up his Stetson and gun belt.

"At least you won't have to do the morning.."

"Yeah," Matt interrupted.

"Festus doesn't mind, Matt, and Sam will take good care of him tomorrow."

"You shouldn't concern yourself with things like this, Kitty."

Neither spoke for several minutes while Matt toed off his boots and removed his vest.

Kitty watched through the mirror over her vanity as he neatly placed the boots under a chair and folded the vest onto the seat. He pulled out his shirttails and unfastened several buttons before rolling up his sleeves and moving into the adjoining room. After a few moments Kitty could hear water splashing in the bowl.  
She wondered if he was always so orderly and organized. Much more than she was!

"What are you grinning about?"

"Nothing, Cowboy. Let's have a drink." Matt moved to the table that held the brandy and stopped to stare at the two bottles beside it. He picked one up and studied its red color. "What kinda brandy is this?"

"It's an aperitif."

"What's all the writing about?" "Italian. It's a bitters called Compari. Becoming quite popular in Europe."

Matt put the bottle down and picked up the other one, reading, "Pimm's Cup No. 1. James Pimm, 1840, London Oyster Bar. A gin digestive."

"So, what's number two?" he quipped.

"Scotch, I think."

He gave her a look, and then said, "Might as well try them all."

 

###

 

A plate with the remains of cheese, hard cooked eggs and bread was on the table beside the half full bottles of Campari and Pimm's Cup.  
The brandy decanter was on the side table by the bed next to two empty snifters.  
Matt was stretched across the top of the comforter with his back propped up against pillows and brass bed frame. He was reading a book.  
Kitty's bare back was next to him but under the covers and her eyes were closed as if asleep. Matt sensed his lady was awake and asked, "What is kith?"

"I think it's like kin - family."

Kitty sat up and pulled his arm up and over her shoulders. She snuggled into his neck and brought her arm over his chest.

"You must be enjoying that book."

"It's about this orphan girl in England named Jane Eyre. She had it pretty hard."

"Orphan? I should read it when you're done."

"It's your book; I thought you already did."

"..started to.." Kitty murmured as she pulled closer to him and closed her eyes.

Matt closed the book and watched her in silence for a few moments.  
In a voice low and dreamlike, he tenderly said, "You should have been a spoiled and adored child."

Nightmare battles, sleep finally victorious, Kitty thought she had exorcised the ghosts of her childhood.  
"I rolled away that stone long, long ago," she told him once.

"Put out the light, Cowboy."

Matt placed the book on the side table and turned down the lamp. He then left the bed to remove the rest of his clothes. Kitty smiled because even with her eyes closed she knew he had folded is pants and shirt to rest neatly on the chair.  
She gave a short, stifled giggle that caused Matt to ask, "What?"

"Nothing. It's just the suspense of waiting for you to bump into something in the dark."

With surprising grace, the big man slipped under the covers to wrap his long, strong arms around her.  
Kitty brought her leg up over his waist and they quickly fell into contented sleep, holding tight to each other.

 

###

 

The little girl with red hair and bright, violet-blue eyes toiled over her work of scrubbing the floor.  
"Kathleen! Aren't you finished yet?" came a shrill voice from behind the pantry door.

"Almost."

The child moved the runner rug from the hall in order to clean under it when she became aware of voices from above. She moved closer to the staircase and recognized the gravel sound of her mother's cousin. She would have known him from the smell of his big cigar.  
Two men were having a brisk conversation by the wall-recessed urns. The girl did not know the second man, but her instincts told her to keep her distance.

"She needs some finishing, but she is attractive considering her parentage. On her father's side."  
Laughter.  
The other man said, "So are we in agreement about the terms of the sale?

"Yes, and I believe Panacea will have her well trained in short order.  
She'll pay for her keep all right."

Kitty Russell quickly hid in the cupboard under the stairs as the two men came down to the hall, and after stopping to glance at the askew carpet, moved into the drawing room.

"Whoever this Panacea is, her place can't be any worse than this cold, cruel house," Kitty whispered to herself.

 

###

 

"Kitty, wake up, honey."

"Matt?"

Matt gently stroked back her tousled hair and tenderly kissed her forehead and cheeks. He could taste the salt from her perspiration and tears.

"You were having a bad dream."

"I'm sorry."

"Everything's all right, Kit," Matt whispered as he soothingly caressed her shoulders and back. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No. It's nothing. I can't even remember it. I'm sorry, Matt."

"I wish I knew what to say. I've never been real good at words."

"We don't need them."

Kitty tilted her head up and they met in a deep, wet kiss.  
Suddenly she began to giggle.  
"Your stomach is rumbling like thunder again. I could fix us some eggs..."

"Let's go to Delmonico's so I can show off my beautiful girl.

But not right now..."

 

###

 

As the couple left the restaurant, Matt placed his hand like a rudder on her shoulder.  
He was still feeling protective of his lady. Kitty knew what he was thinking and said, "I'm okay."

"How do you do that?"

They leaned into each other as they stepped off the boardwalk. When the couple reached the other side of Front Street and closed in on the dry goods store, they observed a sodbuster couple with a wagon full of children. Husband and wife were quarreling loudly: hateful screaming from the man and woman while their youngins watched with sad expressions.

Kitty smirked, "They're either in each others arms or at each others throats."

"I guess that's how it is with most couples, Kitty."

"Not us."

"No, not us."

 

###

 

Doc Adams took the coffee Kitty offered and continued his story about the Sherman family and the sick cow they expected him to cure.

"Can you believe it? Got me out there under false pretenses and paid me in beans."

"How's the cow?" Matt asked while winking at Kitty over his coffee mug.

Doc swiped a hand over his mustache and pulled his ear. "I don't know why I expect to get any sympathy from a civil servant who sleeps late and then hangs around Delmonico's and the Long Branch."

"You're just upset we didn't invite you."

Before Doc could get out a by thunder, Festus excitedly announced from the batwing doors, "There's a wagon with a whole passel a wimmin just come in ta town!"

The trio gave each other puzzled glances, then followed Festus across the street.  
The wagon was pulled by a couple of tired old horses and driven by an attractive woman. On the seat next to her was her twin sister, holding a shotgun.  
There was another bench seat behind them where an older woman held a toddler and a younger one cradled an infant. A teenage girl wearing boy's clothes sat at the back edge of the wagon.

"Well, howdy there!" Festus smiled at the woman holding the reins.  
He tipped his hat and said, "Welcome ta Dodge. Fixin ta stay on a spell, are ya?"

"We're on our way to Colorado. Left from Kentucky and lost our men folk in Missouri."

"Lost 'em?"

"Got killed.

"All of 'em?"

Matt stepped next to Festus and touched his hat. "Good day, ma'am. My name's Matt Dillon and I'm the US Marshal here. Are you ladies okay?"

"We could use some doctoring if you got one, Marshal."

"We do. This is Doctor Adams. Festus, let's help the ladies down and show them to Doc's office."

"I'm there, Matthew. Jest step easy like, Miss __".

"Diana. Much obliged, Mr. Festus."  
Diana smiled at Festus and said, "This is my sister, Venus.  
Venus dear, you can leave the shotgun here. These folks mean to help us."

"It's Festus Haggen, but you kin just call me by Festus. Diana is a perty name fer sure."

Matt lifted the toddler from the gray haired woman.  
"Thank you, Marshal. I'm Athena and this here is Minerva."

Minerva wrapped her little arms around Matt's leg as the blushing lawman helped her grandmother out of the wagon. As Doc headed up to his office, Kitty moved to the other side of the wagon to take the infant from her mother so the young woman could climb down.

"I'm Kitty." And to the baby she said sweetly, "What's your name, little one?"

"Her name is Iris. Mine's Juno."

"Newly, can you take care of the wagon?" Kitty asked.

"Sure thing, Miss Kitty. Don't worry about a thing, ladies."

"I'll go with you. I don't need doctoring," declared the teenager in boy's clothes as she agilely jumped off the back of the wagon.

"Okay, Miss. My name is Newly O'Brian. What's yours?"

"Selene."

"Selene what?"

"Just Selene."

 

###

 

Matt and Festus walked into the Long Branch and over to the bar.

"Marshal." "Festus, Miss Diana was just asking if you would be in."

"Thankya, Sam."

Matt noticed Festus blush as the hillman tried to suppress a smile.

"Kitty around?"

"She went to her office with Miss Juno a while ago, Marshal."

"Is Miz Kitty a fixin ta hire Diana's sister, too? Don'tcha think she would hire Miss Venus, being Diana's twin en all?" Matt noticed Festus called her Diana, and as if on cue, the pretty blond was standing next to them.

"Hello, Marshal. Festus. It's so nice to see you."  
Diana clearly directed this to Festus.

"Miss Kitty kindly offered to help Juno get some sewing work. She's very good at it. As for Venus, she's more comfortable hunting. They certainly got our names mixed up!"

Festus looked puzzled. "I'd sure be proud ifin ya had a drink with me."

Matt tipped his hat and said, "Excuse me, folks," as he went through the door and past the hall curtain.  
He opened the door to Kitty's office. The saloon owner was sitting on her desk. Juno was in the desk chair facing Kitty, with her back to the door.  
In a few quick strides, Matt was standing next to Kitty just as Juno looked up smiling.

"Hello, Marshal. This baby is a hungry one."

Matt caught his breath at the sight of baby Iris nursing with a passion.  
The big man tried to sound casual as he replied, "She sure is, by golly."

He wished he could take it back, but the two women shared a laugh which of course made it worse.  
He tried to look away but found himself staring at the mother and baby daughter.

"Well, uh, I know you two ladies are busy so I'll just.." the blushing marshal nervously retreated.

 

###

 

Matt made his way across the street and noticed Mr. Jonas loading some small boxes into a wagon.  
On the front seat Diana's serious twin, Venus, sat with her trusty shot gun.  
Matt tipped his hat and went inside the store.  
He didn't want any more encounters with these women.  
Too late.  
Athena was struggling to hold a basket and the hand of a wriggling Minerva, while looking over some potatoes.

"Can I help, ma'am?"

To his surprise the grandmother quickly handed up the toddler.  
"She's gonna feel like she's up a tree being so high off the ground, Marshal," the woman laughed.

Minerva fixed a wide-eyed stare at Matt's Adam's apple. She gingerly reached her little hand out to touch it. "Bump."

Athena explained, "The child hasn't been around menfolk much."

She settled with Mr. Jonas, paying half in cash and the other half on account.

"So, here you are."

At the sound of Kitty's voice Matt turned around and grinned, "Hi, Kitty. Been looking for me?" What he meant was save me.

Minerva repeated, "Bump," holding her hand on Matt's throat and giggling.

They all left the store and Kitty held Minerva's hand while Matt helped Athena into the wagon. He then lifted the child onto the bench where she squeezed in between the two women. Matt and Kitty watched the wagon pull away as Minerva twisted around to blow them a kiss. They waved back and then Kitty put her arm through Matt's and smiled up at him.

As the lovers walked past the Poppy Hotel they paid no attention to the man who appeared to be asleep in a chair on the boardwalk with his hat down low over his forehead.

 

###

 

"No more feelings of being watched, Kitty?"

"No. I guess it was just my imagination."

The big man pillowed his head on her alluring, voluptuous breasts. It was an intimate and comfortable pose they assumed many times over the years.

Kitty always liked it when Matt fell asleep against her breasts and she could feel his breathing in rhythm with her own.  
He turned his face into her warm flesh and began to kiss and caress her.  
"Ummm," he murmured.

Suddenly, Matt picked up his head and raised himself to a sitting position.  
He put his arms around Kitty's smooth shoulders.

She giggled, remembering the look on his face when he came in on the mother nursing her baby.

"Something wrong, Cowboy?"

"Why?"

"Oh, I don't know, you just seem a little restless tonight."

"You enjoyed that this afternoon, didn't you?"

The lovers quickly found themselves rolling on the bed, laughing uncontrollably.

 

End of Part I


End file.
